This is Stuee's blog. It's a blog that belongs to Stuee. Stuee is who the blog is about. I am Stuee :-)

Friday, November 25, 2005

Lazy git!

Ok ok ok!! New post! Sorry, I feel a long one coming on (no jokes please!)

Firstly I really wanna say sorry to anyone who's been diligently checking here over the last few decades in the vein hope that I'll one day put finger to key and provide more enlightenment and joy in the form of one of the longest sentences I think I've ever written that didn't have a comma or a semi-colon in it anywhere!

And BREEEATH, and relax...(I wish there was an emoticon thing on blogger, don't you?)

Well I'm sat here wearing many layers, typing on frosty keys and I can see my breath in front of my face. Those of you who saw In the Attic will know that my boiler went KAPUTT! some days ago (yes, in a German accent smart arse!), and it's around zero outside so the house is not very warm at all! (The plumber is coming again tonight with yet another part to try - I really hope it works this time!)

Speaking of In the Attic, I couldn't help popping in to say hi and bye on Wednesday, and I'm glad I did - it was really good to see everyone, I was starting to miss them. Just wish I had something prepared to play. I don't think I'll be able to make the Christmas special on 17th Dec due to work commitments, i.e. I have a gig. Very sad about that :-(Oh by the way, good work Alisha - loved the logos you did for In the Attic and Basement Jam. They were simple, bold, and had continuity between them. Top hole!

Well I've spent a fair amount of time over the last week or so chatting via Yahoo!IM (which is by far the best instant messenger IMHO) with Jessica late afternoon (hi Jess!) and Claire 'Bum-face' Eliza late at night on AIM (which is, by comparison, positively primative, but perfectly good enough if it means I get to chat with such a lovely girl as Claire).I think most are aquainted with Jess, but if nobody knows of Claire (my mistress) you should ALL go see her blog and force her to write more. I haven't heard her sing or play yet, but something tells me she may well take our radios by storm one day. Fingers crossed :-)

This will embarrass her (yesss!) but I think it's so cool that there are young people with such great taste in music (which is weird to say 'cause that means I'm judging other people's tastes, which I cannot and must not do) but I'm sure you know what I mean.

In case you don't, I mean it's great that good music - that is good songs; true, passionate lyric writing and quality, heartfelt musicianship, combined with great production - has reached through all the chaff that's out there clogging and clouding our ears, minds and radios, and being sold directly to this age group. Even the old stuff that's so popular at the moment is being quantized and remixed and reinforced. Now sure, bring stuff up to date, but why suck out the unique and amazing groove and [insert James Brown grunt here] that this music has, and make it all stiff and samey? The guys that made those records, such as the Funk Brothers (if you haven't seen the film, do so!) et al were hired and head-hunted because of the unique way they could make a record sound and feel. How DARE somebody today just remove that soul they injected into them.

Young people like Claire give me hope that we won't always be subjected to the whinings of good looking but otherwise talentless nob-ends, written for by big fat queers who already own half the songs in the Top 20 of the last two decades.There IS REAL YOUNG TALENT out there, and it's everywhere. Excellent songwriters with PERSPECTIVE and PASSION, gifted singers with SOUL who can SING A TUNE and COMMUNICATE, musicians with GROOVE and FEEL, producers with ORIGINALITY, programmers with IMAGINATION, mixers with EARS! (hallelujah!) and DJs who'd play it all if only they weren't glued to the corporate playlist and completely unaware of these artists because the record companies won't fucking sign them! In fact if the people who have the power to bring on this talent, the A&R men (not many women, weirdly enough) had EARS (and BALLS) themselves, the radio and tv would be a very different place.

Woops, small rant there - sorry! Hehrrmmm....

Anyway guys/girls, you're both gorgeous - thank you for the long chats :-) Best of luck with everything Claire x

Still, on to tomorrow. I'm playing golf with my good old school buddy Simon in the morning, down in my old hometown of Bournemouth, in Dorset, southern England. It's going to be around 4 degrees, but will feel more like -4 with the northerly wind, so I'm gonna wrap up in my skiing thermals and hat! Wish me luck ;-)Then tomorrow night I have a black tie dinner to go to, for which I have no black tie, no shirt and no evening jacket! I may well get shoo'd out of the pub!

Please keep the comments and giggles coming in, you're all wonderful and interesting people and I LOVE YA! hehe

Bye for now, Stuee xxxx

P.S. Here're another couple of pics for ya.

The first is of a shield bug, sat on my mum's lamp in her house in France

And this one's a light bulb, but a view we would never get with the naked eye

30 Comments:

Nice pictures, you really have an eye for interesting images. Bournemouth, hey? I'm a big fan of the westcountry, I stayed out there while in the UK last May/June. Well a little north of that actually, Chippenham, Wilts. Beautiful out there... and not too long on the train to get into London either. Bonus!

Right, now you've done it. I couldn't leave the Mahavishnu out of it. My dad and I have had MANY lengthy discussions about bebop, post-bop, fusion, and all sorts of other Jazz genres that tend to be more aimed towards the players than the listeners. I'm a big fan of funk/fusion, but then again, I'm a sucker for groove.

I'm recommending a smaller Canadian-American group called MetalWood. They have their moments, and I catch their live shows whenever possible. Also, I'm a huge fan of the bass player Chris Tarry.

Stuart, you're my favourite bass player. Thanks for everything, you know how much I love those long late night random conversations. =)Good post, maybe I really should right more now that you gave everyone a shout to check mine out.Someday I'll post a song of mine...xoxo- BUM-FACE! (you do love embarrassing me don't you?)

WOW and I thought I wrote LONG blogs! Loved and read every line. Jessica is a sweetheart! I am glad you two are getting on as good friends! I have to chat with my friends overseas a ton and I love that the internet has the ability to carry us right there next to them. What a blessed society we are these days!

I think you are very talented in your photography! Keep it up!

I am up late on chat too you should drop me a line and we can party chat with Jess sometime! LOL

Hey Stuee, I loved hearing your bass and guitar playing on In the Attic! You are quite talented! And, I so loved your critique of the lamestream music industry! Please go check out www.independentartistscompany.com it's the Indie capital of the world. You won't believe the talent there. I think this will give you some faith in how many truly talented artists there are out there. Anyway, take care, keep warm, and keep on rockin'!

I was pleasantly surprised today when I got a comment from Claire and viewed her profile. I've worked in several school districts in the area and have found it very depressing when I hear what the majority of teenagers are listening to these days. It helps to know that not all teenagers have such poor taste in music ;)Love, Denise

Well AMEN Stuee! I hear ya about music and the God-awful scumbags who are trying their best to dash the hope of talented artists (like Rachel) and litter the airwaves with homogenized hooey. blech. Makes me SO angry!!!!Thank God for Rachel and Pete's innovative minds. I'm sure Rachel's and Simon's sales have nudged up a bit, (I hope). And now we know about you and the Vibrants and of course Mikey. It really does break my heart to know that there is a wealth of unheard talent. The internet certainly helps, but I know it takes a sizeable amount of money to record a cd. I think the way to go is to DIY, do tons of gigs and sell your cds at your gigs. That's the way it's gotta be to get your stuff out there. (Plus the cool artists will always sign their cds and chat with the fans, and then you build up a loyal following).Love your pics! You do have a great eye!See ya,Sue

Hi Stuee,I'm sure you must be busy, getting ready for the show! Just wishing you well for tomorrow. It's really kind of exciting, even for the bloggers like me that can't go.Hope all's well with you and yours, take care now. :) xoxoLisa

Well thought I would finally get round to checking out your blog and what do i find ........ No update in ages!!! Honestly - call yourself a blogger? Cos I did hear on the grapevine that you are pretty busy at the mo doing gigs etc.

Anyways - was great to catch up with you last night - was a fab evening and as usual you and the band were fantastic. (and I suppose rachel was fairly good too!!)

Hope plans for the move are coming on well and don't forget to shout me for that beer!

Amazing night at Oceanic on Sunday the 4th! I wanted to congratulate you, the band was incredible!!! You are all such good musicians. Rachel is lucky to have you...

I was sitting at the table right behind you, got lots of pics of the night on my blog. Also if you go to Mark T's, Koos F's, Steve H's blogs they have even better ones. My camera is not as good as theirs,LOL.

I totally agree with what you say on your post. This is why I am trying to educate my 13-year-old nephew (he plays the guitar) to listen to good music. He was listening to terrible gangsta rap and other crap music two years ago and I panicked. Now, thanks to me and my sister he's into Eagles!!! :-) He's warming into The Who little by little, I'm buying him Quadrophenia for Xmas.

God! Long comment sorry, but your post triggered all this ;-)

Hope I see you live again v. soon. Sorry to hear you're not going to be in the Xmas Attic show. Good luck with the other gig

Really enjoyed your performance at Attic Jam, which I've finally been able to watch on loop! You did a bit of singing, too, eh?

Over on my blog, I posted a photo of my son, A.J. (it's the second blog down at the moment). After I posted it, I thought, "Wow, he looks a bit like Stuee." So if you get a sec, go take a peek and tell me what you think!

Boy oh boy! Your not kidding. Long post. Smile. I would have sent this an hour ago but for the reading. Hahaha.

I don't know about you but I'm ready for a loop party! I will be hosting the "In the Basement" loop chat and be in Ballerina Gurl's chat - http://pub6.bravenet.com/chat/show.php/456044885 - around 5:15 pm eastern time Sunday December 11. I tried to base this time around the majority. Sorry if it does not fit your schedule? I have invited a special mystery guest co-host, who has excepted, and you never know who else may honor us with an appearance. The loop should start at 5:30 pm. eastern. You are cordially invited to stop by and join us. Thanks.

Wonderful photos. Just wanted to tell you how great you sounded at The Basement Jam, just amazing. If you are in Wiltshire than I'm sure you are close to Stourhead Gardens, which seems like a most lovely place. I still have not made it there but have been most fortunate enough to see many other places in you fair country.Have a great week:)CheersAmanda